


let their feelings grow

by choi_kimmy



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-10-25 01:22:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17715368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choi_kimmy/pseuds/choi_kimmy
Summary: ~ in which everyone else finds out that Terra and Aqua are in love with each other before they even realize or admit it themselves.





	1. Ventus

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So I just finished playing KH3 and I have lots of feelings. This would be a short series of about 5 chapters, told from the perspective of various characters of KH in their observation of Terra/Aqua ranging from pre to post-KH3. I hope you like it!

_ **Part I. Ventus** _

 

For all the time he has known and spent with Terra and Aqua, Ven was confident that he knew them best. The bond the three of them share with each other was for eternity, and he was forever thankful for that.

Even so, Ven knew that between just the two of his friends though, there was a special bond that was only reserved for them alone. He didn’t quite mind that, seeing as to how Terra and Aqua were already inseparable even before he came into the picture. Perhaps it was because of their age, or perhaps it was because of all the time they’ve spent together since they were young, Ven never exactly dwelled on that topic. He was contented with how things were, and he would never have dreamed of asking for more.

Which was why when he woke up one Sunday morning to find Aqua bustling about in the kitchen on their only rest day, with Terra sitting by the counter top, a book spread opened in front of him, Ven wasn’t surprised at all. 

“Morning,” He greeted with a yawn while bumping his fist with Terra’s. “What are you cooking?”

“Morning, sleepyhead.” Aqua greeted back with a chuckle, hands busy sorting out the ingredients on the counter. Aqua was wearing an apron, a sight that was not unfamiliar to Ven, ever since she began travelling to various worlds and coming back each time with new recipes in her journal. “There was a dish that I tried, and the host was so kind to share the recipe with me. It was really delicious, and I really want you two and Master to try it!”

Ven grinned, exchanging looks with Terra, who was also smiling. “Do you need any help?” He asked, even though he already knew the answer from the way Terra was acting. “I mean, I’m not as clumsy as Terra—“

“Hey!” Terra interrupted, an eyebrow raised. “I’m not _that_ bad in cooking.”

“Says the one who nearly burned down our kitchen years ago.” Ven stuck a tongue out and immediately moved to the other side of the counter, away from Terra’s reach. Aqua merely laughed in agreement.

“That was _one_ time.” Terra groaned. 

“One time is _enough_ , Terra.”

Terra sighed, turning to look at the blue-haired mage. “Help?” He asked, to which Aqua glanced at the younger boy with a smile and said, “Eat your breakfast first, Ven.”

“Okay, mom.” Ven conceded easily with a tease, reaching for his bowl and a box of cereal. He ate in silence after that, watching Aqua chop some onions. The kitchen was quiet, save for the sound of chopping and the sound of Ven chewing on his cereal. 

Ven couldn’t help but smile to himself; he missed this regularity. Being in the same room with his two best friends, doing things that was so _normal_ , so routine, just like the old days—he was grateful. There was simply nothing else he wished for but for the three of them to always be like this forever.

“ _Ow!”_ A sudden yelp from Aqua snapped Ven out from his thoughts, but before he could process fully what had happened, Terra was already by her side. Ven looked on from the opposite, realizing that Aqua had cut her finger. “Let me see,” Terra asked gently, holding onto Aqua’s hand, worry etched evidently on his face.

At first, there was nothing that struck Ven odd about this whole situation. The cut seemed minor, nothing comparable to what Aqua had suffered throughout the years wielding the keyblade. Ven was about to suggest casting cure on it, but there was a gut feeling that stopped him from saying anything. 

Ven has seen this many times; when Aqua had injured herself during training, when she came back from her missions with a few bandages or scars that didn’t go away even with spells. Terra was always there in a flash, if he was around, tending to her wounds and injuries, fetching her things that would keep her comfortable while she was resting. Even so, Ven found himself frowning watching his two friends in front of him, there was something different that caught his attention this time. He just couldn’t quite place a finger on it, though.

Terra was still fussing over that small cut, he had washed her finger under the tap and was putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding. “Are you sure you don’t want to just cast cure on it?” He asked, his free hand rummaging for a band-aid in the kitchen drawer. 

“I’m fine, Terra,” Ven noticed a hint of blush on Aqua’s cheeks as she replied, though he opted to say nothing about it. “You know what Master thinks of casting magic for personal gain—“

“It’s not personal gain, you’re _hurt._ ”

“It’s just a tiny cut, Terra.” Aqua sighed, eyes not quite looking at the older man beside her. “A band-aid should do the trick.”

“You need to be more careful next time, seriously…” Terra said firmly, clearly still worried.

“Well, kitchen accidents aren’t very unusual.” Aqua retorted with a huff, though she allowed him to wrap the band-aid around her finger. 

Ven stood there in silence, watching the scene unfold in front of him, his eyebrows furrowed together. Suddenly, Ven had this nudging feeling as if he was intruding an intimate moment between his two friends, which made him even more confused, seeing how they weren’t even doing anything especially out of the ordinary. Even though Terra had already finished tending to her wound, he still hovered near her, insisting that he helped her with the rest of the onions.

That was when it suddenly hit Ven. Fast and hard, that he had to do a double take. 

_No way,_ he gasped, _really?_

“Guys?” The word came out before Ven could even think of stopping himself. Terra and Aqua turned to look at him, (finally) remembering that he was still there with them.

Ven observed how closely they stood beside each other, Aqua’s still flushed face, and Terra’s look of concern. He took a deep breath. “Don’t kill me for asking this but are you two like… _together_ together?”

“What? No!” Aqua was quick to reply, though clearly taken aback.

“Yeah…we’re…not.” Flustered, Terra joined in a split second after.

“Oh.” Ven simply said, though it didn’t go unnoticed that Aqua had become even redder. And that in itself was amusing to the teenager. In all the years of Ven knowing her, Aqua was always calm and collected, never once had her expression betrayed her feelings. But this time, it was evident that even if both his friends weren’t together, Aqua still felt _something_ from his innocent question. 

There was an awkward pause after that; Aqua had moved herself to the stove, back now against both him and Terra, while Terra resumed chopping the onions quietly.

“I’m going to go…uh…water the plants.” Ven cleared his throat, a sudden bubble of excitement building up inside him. Before either of them could reply to him, he had already left the kitchen.

After witnessing the possibility of a change in their friendship, Ven wanted to add something to the wish he mentally made to himself earlier. He didn’t exactly know what was going on with his two friends, but he had a hunch that something more was about to happen. And more than anything in the world, he wished that his hunch would eventually be right. From the looks his friends were giving to each other, it didn’t seem like it would take a long time, if Ven were to be completely honest with himself. 

_Perhaps a few push is what they need,_ Ven grinned excitedly, his mind now filled with hundreds of thoughts and ideas.

**(end of part i - ventus)**


	2. Kairi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set after the events of KH3, although I did not entirely follow what truly happened at the end (if you know, you know). Don't worry, it is spoiler-free! Hope you enjoy, and thank you for all the kudos so far!

_ **Part ii. Kairi** _

 

It hasn’t been a long time since Kairi met Aqua, but she had grown extremely fond of the keyblade master. To her, Aqua was someone she deeply admired, somewhat like an older sister she never had. When Kairi had arrived in the Land of Departure with Sora and Riku, Aqua was already waiting for them by the entrance. She had greeted them warmly, before bringing them into the castle where she resided with the rest of her own best friends, Terra and Ventus, whom Kairi had also met earlier.

“Sora!” Ventus greeted loudly, clearly excited to see the arrival of his new friend. “Riku, Kairi, Namine!” He was waving enthusiastically from where he stood, and Sora too, responded with an equally enthusiastic wave. “Hey, Ven!” 

Kairi chuckled, seeing the similarities between them. If she hadn’t known the full story, Kairi would have wholeheartedly believed that they were brothers. As she looked up, Kairi noticed Terra was making his way towards Aqua. Kairi hasn’t spoken much to Terra before this, unlike Ventus whom she had taken an instant liking the moment he spoke to her, but she knew that he was just as kind as his other friends. Terra was more reserved, after all, and Kairi thought that he was similar to Riku in that aspect. 

Sure enough, Terra waved towards the rest of Kairi’s gang when he was nearer, a small smile on his face. “Had a good journey here, I hope?”

“Yes.” Namine replied with a smile of her own. “This place is beautiful.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Terra agreed, and Aqua nodded in obvious agreement. This was their home, after all.

“It took some time to restore the whole place but it was definitely worth it.” Aqua smiled in contentment before continuing, “When are the others arriving?”

“Soon, I believe.” Riku answered. Other than inviting the three of them to a small garden party that evening, Aqua had also invited Axel, Roxas and Xion, the trio who had formed a sort of unexpected bond with the other seven. As if on cue, loud knocks were heard on the castle door, and Ventus rushed towards it without hesitation, clearly more than eager to greet their last group of guests.

“Well, that’s everyone.” Terra announced, exchanging eyes with Aqua. “To the garden it is!”

 

—

 

_This is breathtaking_ , Kairi thought to herself, awed at how well decorated the garden was for what was supposed to be a simple party. A bunch of fairy lights were hanging from one tree to another, while piles and piles of food and dessert were neatly arranged on the table by the side—enough to feed at least twice the size of the current group. A few empty tables stood in the middle of the garden, a small vase of flowers placed on each of them.

“Wow,” Axel was the first to break the silence. “Someone clearly went overboard with the food and decorations.” Roxas attempted to elbow Axel for saying that, but he dodged easily. 

From the looks their hosts were giving him, Kairi could tell that they weren’t offended by that statement. Instead, they laughed. “Ven wanted to make sure that all of you feel welcomed.” Aqua offered an explanation, to which the younger boy crossed his arms and retorted, “Yeah, but _you_ placed those flowers on the tables, I never wanted flowers! And Terra, he was the one who put up those lights!”

Kairi was quick to interject, “I’m sure all of us appreciate the effort, the lights and flowers are beautiful.”

“Yes, you guys really didn’t have to, but thank you.” Sora chimed in, also grinning from ear to ear. He was already heading towards the food table with Roxas tailing behind. “Wow, these look delicious. Did you make them yourself?" 

"Yes, based on recipes from different worlds," Aqua nodded proudly. "Terra and Ven helped me, of course." 

"And I can assure you that you'll find her skills the best out of us three, that's for sure." Terra added, while Ventus nodded furiously. "You'll love it, Aqua is the master of cooking."

"Oh, stop." Said chef was blushing. "They're exaggerating."

"Well, one way to find out!" Riku calmly said as he too, joined Sora and Roxas by the table, the latter two were already filling their plates with food. The rest began to follow suit, with Ventus enthusiastically explained what each dishes were made of.

After everyone had taken their seats together with their food, it was only then that Kairi realized the tables weren’t quite enough to fit everyone. Turning around, she found that there were still two individuals who were still lingering by the food table—Aqua and Terra, both carrying a plate in their hands, but also seemingly in a conversation with each other. Not thinking much, Kairi was trying to figure out a way to fit two more people at her table; it was possible, if everyone sat closer to each other. Just as there was enough space to call for Aqua and Terra to join her, Kairi was surprised to find that both of them had settled sideways on the stone wall overseeing the waters ahead.

Initially, Kairi wanted to call for them, seeing how it was rather uncomfortable to be eating at such a spot. But before she could do that, Kairi realized that they were still talking to each other. Food forgotten, she found herself intrigued, so she watched on silently from where she sat; it was Terra’s turn to speak, and from his hand gestures, Kairi figured he was telling a story. Kairi glanced at Aqua who was listening intently, and something began to stir inside her.

Kairi could see it. Rather clearly, too. 

She saw Aqua’s gleaming eyes as she listened on to whatever it was that Terra was telling her, saw the way both of them were looking at each other in between pauses. Kairi saw how even when they’ve stopped talking and started eating, Terra had stolen a few glances towards her direction, both meeting eyes several times in that process. When Terra smiled, Aqua was smiling, too. She saw how he had looked at her as if she was the only one that matters, saw that they were both lost in their own world even with the sea of people around them in the garden.

And that was when Kairi knew.

**(end of part ii - kairi)**


	3. King Mickey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set within the events of KH3, may contain minor spoilers that you would already have seen from the trailers. There are also slight mentions of the events from BBS as well as 2.8/0.2, with the former having some added assumptions by yours truly hahaha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos so far! I don't think Mickey is someone you'd expect me to write but he was one of the first few that popped into my mind when I was thinking of writing this series. Partially also because I wanted some variety, especially in the 'ways' they find out about terraqua having feelings for each other. 
> 
> P/S: feel free to give me suggestions for any particular individuals, you might have thought of something I didn't so I welcome any suggestions, requests and ideas! :)
> 
> P/P/S: the next chapter will probably be Sora, in an indirect way of knowing.

_** Part iii - King Mickey ** _

“Aqua?”

It wasn’t long after everyone had dispersed from Master Yen Sid’s study, when Aqua heard someone calling out for her again. She had just rounded a corridor with Ventus when she heard Mickey’s voice. At that, Aqua immediately turned around, motioning for Ventus to go ahead first. Sure enough, the King of Disney Castle stood behind her, his expression solemn, hands in front of him. Worried, Aqua responded, “Yes, Mickey?”

Her fellow keyblade master was looking at her, a bit hesitant to say what was going on his mind. Eventually, he tipped his head slightly, his hands clasped together. “I wish to apologize.”

The apology caught Aqua off-guarded, she knelt on one knee so that she was at eye-level with her friend. “Whatever for?”

“It was all my fault.” Mickey elaborated, his tone suggested guilt and even pain. “I left you in the realm of darkness for far too long. I should have come for you as soon as I could, but I didn’t.”

“Oh,” Aqua gasped in realization, recalling in vague pieces, the words she had uttered not long before she was rescued from the realm. She bit her lower lip, not quite knowing what to say to that. 

“I will not try to justify my actions, or lack-of, rather,” Mickey continued solemnly, head still slightly tipped. “There is just too much suffering that I can’t make up for. I just…if you could find it in your heart to…but I understand if you…” His sentence trailed off, the words unable to fall from the tip of his tongue. Mickey shook his head, shoulders slumped. “I’m truly sorry.”

Aqua touched Mickey’s shoulder gently, nudging him slightly so he would look at her. When he did, she gave him a soft smile, “I accept your apology, Mickey. The past is in the past.”

Hearing that relieved Mickey, who expelled a huge sigh. He knew no words could ever make up for the pain and suffering Aqua had gone through in the last decade. The guilt has been etched in his heart for the longest of time, and had especially manifested after the encounter with anti-Aqua in the realm. It didn’t help that he still couldn’t locate the whereabouts of Terra, either. 

“And…about Terra,” Mickey was recalling an old memory he knew Aqua would love to hear; perhaps it might even cheer her up a little. “I never got the chance to tell you, but the last time I met him, he showed me the charm, the one you made for him. He said it was really important.”

“Oh, did he really?” The effect of hearing that was immediate; Aqua’s face had lighted up.

Mickey nodded. “He said it gave him hope.”

“Terra…” Aqua could feel her chest constricting, tears beginning to well up. She held a hand against her chest, face still beaming with happiness. “I knew he would fight on. He isn’t someone who would give up.”

“Yes, I could see that.” 

“He’s strong, isn’t he?” Aqua couldn’t help but to wipe a tear away before smiling again, “I’m sorry, it’s just…for you to tell me that he still believed in the wayfinder I did…it means a lot to me. Thank you, Mickey.”

Mickey shook his hands, an indication that it was nothing for her to be thanking him about. He was glad though, to see her cheered up at just a simple recollection of the last time he met Terra, before all this happened. Mickey didn’t know it would have such an impact on Aqua, but another memory struck him again, this time, that of when Mickey first saw her in the realm of darkness, when Aqua had explained that the reason she was stuck in the realm was because she had saved Terra. It was not a surprise that he was extremely important to her, given how they were close friends.

“Wherever Terra is, Aqua, I’m sure he’s fine.” Mickey offered an assurance, to which Aqua agreed with an affirmative nod. “Yes, you’re right.” She firmly said, “He isn’t as weak as to give in to darkness. I have absolute faith in him.”

Hearing that somewhat warmed Mickey’s heart; the beauty of their camaraderie shone even in dark times. In fact, Aqua’s words now echoed that of hers in the realm of darkness. Mickey remembered vaguely that she had said the same thing about Terra, how he would fight to beat his darkness. Mickey definitely knew that Aqua cared deeply for her comrades, but there was something else about Aqua’s words that rang continuously in his heart. It wasn’t direct, but Mickey could sense it within him, the camaraderie between Aqua and Terra wasn’t that of just trust and friendship, it was something _more_.

“You miss him, don’t you?” Mickey asked, even though he already knew the answer to that silly question. 

“Of course.” Aqua nodded before adding in fondness, recalling the memories in her head, “Every single day. We were never separated for such a long time. It has always been just the both of us for so many years together, before Ven came. We’d train and spar together, analyse books and theories together…come to think about it, this is the first time--not including quests--we were _ever_ separated, period.” 

“I see.” Mickey was smiling; it finally clicked in his head, though he prod no further. “I’m sure he misses you too. And Ven. He’ll be back before you know it.”

Aqua smiled, standing up. “Yes. I believe so, too. I’d better go now, Ven is waiting for me.”

Mickey merely nodded, keeping mum.

_Love,_ he thought to himself as he watched her retreating back, _that is what that something more is._

**_(end of part iii - king mickey)_ **


	4. Sora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set directly after the events of KH3, though as usual, not entirely compliant to what truly happened.

_** Part iv - Sora ** _

Destiny Islands hasn’t had this many people in a long time, Sora mused to himself as he watched the scene unfolding in front of his very eyes. It has usually just been the three of them playing about in the island, but now, it was nearly full with the amount of people crowding the beach. Donald and Goofy were running around, playing tag; Xion, Namine and Kairi were building sandcastles together, their laughter filled the air; Axel and Riku were throwing a frisbee around, one that somehow flew towards Donald and hit the back of his head squarely. Sora chuckled at that sight of Donald turning around and shaking an angry fist at the two individuals who didn’t seem to worry—Axel was clutching onto his stomach, laughing, while Riku sheepishly apologised. From a distance, Sora could see Roxas chatting with Ventus, both of their features eerily similar now that he has seen them standing side by side and casually in a conversation. 

Sora cocked his head to the side, confused, as he noticed the lone figure sitting under the paopu tree. He had to do a mental calculation to confirm that someone was missing from the beach, and seeing the blue-haired keyblade master sitting alone was an instant click of knowing who was not with the rest of the gang. Sora craned his neck left and right, searching for the particular individual who was no where in sight. It didn’t sit right with him somehow if he sat still, so Sora stood from his spot and turned away, making it a quest to find the missing person.

The island, he knew the pathways and secret locations by heart. It wasn’t that big of a place to begin with, anyway. Sora had almost gone around the entire island when he finally saw the person he was searching for. He too, was sitting alone at the edge of a short cliff overseeing nothing but the sea ahead, seemingly in deep thoughts.

“Terra!” Sora called out without thinking, rushing forward to take the empty spot beside the said man, who had blinked himself out of his thoughts, clearly surprised to see him. “I should have known you were here, this is one of the best spots in the island after all.”

“Sora,” Terra replied, still confused at his sudden unannounced presence. “Why aren’t you with the others?”

Sora scrunched his nose and shrugged, “That sounds a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?”

Terra rubbed a hand behind his neck, knowing Sora was right. “Ah…well, I was doing some thinking so I wanted to be alone.”

Even though he didn’t know what was going on, Sora chose not to ask further questions. Instead, he was looking at the sea, taking in the breeze and watching the waves lapped against the rocks with a soft rippling sound. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

Sora gestured at the vast waters ahead of them. “The sea.” He said plainly. 

There was a pause before Terra responded quietly, “Yeah, it is.”

There was silence after that, until Sora reverted his eyes elsewhere and spotted the item Terra was holding. “Oh? That’s a wayfinder, isn’t it? I’ve seen Ven carrying it, too.” He exclaimed, pointing towards the charm dangling around Terra’s hand. Subconsciously, Terra rubbed the charm with a thumb.

“Yeah, umm…Aqua made it for us.” Terra glanced at the wayfinder, a smile finally appearing on his face. “She said that as long as we have it on us, we’ll never be separated no matter what.”

“That sounds like the paopu fruit.” Sora excitedly remarked, “We have the tree here, Riku once told me that if two people share the same fruit, they’ll be in each other’s lives forever.”

Terra nodded. “Aqua did mention to us that this wayfinder is based on that fruit.”

Sora was amused, a hand scratching his chin. “So you’ve also heard the legend before? I thought it was only a Destiny Islands thing. That’s cool.” He grinned again.

“I reckon she might have read it in some books. Aqua’s always the avid reader among us three.” Terra explained, quite enjoying Sora’s unexpected company. He wasn’t usually a talker, but Sora seemed to be a natural in making conversations with people that it was comfortable talking to him.

“That’s Kairi for us. Say, Terra,” Sora looked at the young man beside him, “have you always had that charm with you?”

Terra nodded without hesitation. “I kept it close to me. It reminded me that I should never give in, that I had to come back and see Aqua and Ven.”

Sora was somehow frowning, “So now that you’re back, shouldn’t you be happy?”

Terra’s face fell, a sudden feeling of guilt crept into him again. He didn’t think anyone, let alone Sora, would notice his obvious isolation from the rest of his friends. Terra couldn’t find the words to say what was on his mind, so he kept quiet.

“I mean…” Sora rubbed his neck nervously, hoping it wasn’t too rude of him to poke his nose around someone else’s matter. “Aqua, she’s at the beach alone.”

Terra could feel his heart sinking further; it was never his intention to hurt his friends. But after all that has happened, the memories still fresh in their minds, Terra found it hard to act like everything was back to normal, that somehow, everything was okay. The wounds, they still exist in their hearts, and he knew it, even if they didn’t say anything about it.

“I don’t mean to pry, Terra, it’s just that…I’ve noticed you aren’t talking to her.” Sora hesitated,wondering if this was a good idea given how he only just met him not long ago; he should have asked Ven to find him instead. But it was too late to be regretting, so Sora continued, “It’s as if…you’re avoiding her.” 

Terra looked at Sora, surprised at his conclusion, but didn’t deny it. Instead, Terra found himself thinking that maybe he should give more credit to this boy for his observation. Now, he felt like he owed Sora an explanation for why he was acting like this.

“It’s just that…” Terra began slowly, trying to form the sentence in his mouth. “When I think of how much she’d gone through, I just…I can’t face her.” He paused, and Sora listened on without interrupting. “I was the reason why she was stuck in the realm of darkness. She wanted to save me, no, she _sacrificed_ herself to save me, but even so, I couldn’t…”

Saying those words out loud for the first time opened a wound in Terra’s heart that he didn’t even know he had. It hurts, the more he thought about the sufferings she had to go through for such a long time, _alone_ , in the dark. It was a wonder how she even got out still sane from all that has happened.   
  
“I’m sure Aqua doesn’t blame you, Terra.” Sora said slowly when he realised he had gone silent, “She has _always_ believed in you. If it was anyone’s fault, it’s Xehanort’s.”  
  
Terra shook his head. “I don’t deserve someone like her.”  
  
“This may not be my place to say anything, Terra, but if Aqua were to hear you say that, she would be sad.” Sora insisted, knowing full well by now how Aqua was as an individual. “You’re her _best friend_. She called out your names first when we saved her from the realm of darkness.You and Ven were the reasons why she endured for so long in that horrible place. You must know that, right?”

Terra sighed, and then whispered, “Aqua…she was the light that guided me home. I just wished I could do more for her.”  
  
“Hmm… _oh_!” Sora slapped his hands together, as if he has connected the missing dots together. “Aqua is _your_ Kairi!”   Sora grinned, not paying heed to how confused Terra was at that statement. “What do you me—”

But Sora was already continuing his sentence, his mind in a sudden overdrive, “You want to protect her, don’t you?”

Terra nodded. “Of course.”

“And she was one of the sources of strength that kept you going?”

Terra nodded again, not quite sure where this was all going. “Definitely.”

“When you saw her again after all this time, you felt relieved, overjoyed even, to see that she is safe and sound?”

“I—” Terra was extremely flustered, but it didn’t seem like Sora was even listening to him now.

“As long as she’s all right, you feel like your world is all right, too.” Terra wasn’t even sure if this was a statement or a question so he simply nodded. All that Sora was telling him did echo in his heart, after all. 

Sora placed a finger on his chin, still in deep thoughts. “I see, it all makes perfect sense now.”

“What does?” Terra really couldn’t follow Sora’s line of thoughts. This time, Sora faced him once again, smiling. “Kairi…she’s my light, too. When I was about to give up, she was there to guide me back to reality.”

Terra frowned slightly, he was beginning to understand why Sora had asked him all those questions, but he still couldn’t quite see the relation of his analogy.

“And if there’s one thing I know best about Kairi is that, even if I had let her down sometimes, she would never forgive me if I stopped talking to her under the guise of protecting her.”

A few seconds passed by, and Terra had to fight a sudden urge to smile, now fully understanding where Sora was coming from. This kid…he really was something. Where did he get such profound wisdom from?

“If you think you’re doing Aqua a favour by avoiding her…” Sora’s sentence trailed off, but his message was loud and clear. He gave Terra a sheepish look of apology. “Sorry, did I cross the line?”

Terra shook his head, a warm smile tugging the corners of his mouth upwards. “Quite the opposite, actually. I suppose you are right, Sora. But…” Terra heaved a sigh, “I honestly don’t know what to do.”

Sora looked puzzled for a moment, but then he simply said, “Talk to her, Terra.”

Deep down, Terra knew that Sora was right—it was the simplest yet most rationale solution anyone could give. If he could just muster enough courage to face Aqua again, that would definitely be the first step to resolving any lingering, unsaid guilt between them. He did owe her that much, at the very least.

“Oh come on, Terra.” Sora tried again, this time with a nudge of his elbow against Terra's arm. “I wouldn’t be able to imagine a day where I could talk to Kairi, but choose not to. And honestly, I don’t think you can do the same to Aqua, either.”

Sora was right once again. Pushing Aqua away wouldn’t solve his issues, if any, it would only prolong them. The last thing Terra wanted was to hurt her even further. 

“Sora?” Terra looked at the younger boy who was all smiles, finally making up his mind. He stood up. “Thank you.”

“Happy to help.” Sora responded, still grinning. Terra had taken a few steps forward before he stopped in his tracks. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.” Sora pushed himself up from the ground, brushing dirt off his pants in the process.

“Kairi…what is she to you?”

Although slightly taken aback by that question, Sora didn’t let it show that much. Instead, he scratched his head and placed a hand under his chin. “Hmm…” He wanted to say _friend,_ but it didn’t quite feel right. He couldn't quite put a label on his relationship with Kairi.

Instead, Sora settled for something he was a hundred percent sure of, “Someone I’d go to the ends of the earth for.”

“Ah,” Terra smiled, seemingly understanding his answer, even though if it was vague. He nodded and began to turn around again. “Alright.”

Sora watched him disappear amongst the trees, found himself grinning again even if there was no one with him. Though he was curious of what _Terra_ thought of _Aqua,_ he figured he didn’t need to ask. Part of him felt like he already knew, for Terra’s answer, Sora could predict, would more or less be like his.

** (end of part iv - sora) **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Sora, this idea really developed from one sentence I randomly thought of which was "Aqua is your Kairi". My personal view of Sora is that he wouldn't entirely know what being in love truly means yet (unlike the other three so far, esp Kairi), but at the same time, he has his own way of identifying people who love each other in his own special, indirect way. 
> 
> And I honestly think that there will be some unresolved issues after KH3 between Aqua/Terra, given how they had that misunderstanding in BBS, and then Terra was norted, Aqua was stuck in the realm. So there definitely has to be a 'talk' between them at some point. But anyway, enough rambling, I hope this chapter is enjoyable. Thank you for reading!!!


	5. Xion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set one month after KH3. This part is inspired by Lyssala's Chapter 29 for her fic "We'll Beat Destiny at it's Own Game" The entire premise is basically based on Lyssa's content, I only wrote it from Xion's perspective and added a few stuffs here and there! Link to her story below! <3

_ **Read Lyssa's[Still I Find You There Next to Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13395309/chapters/41940761) <3** _

_ **Part v - Xion** _

 

It has only been a little over a month since settling in the Land of Departure, but Xion has never been happier. 

She hadn’t felt like this before, surrounded by her friends and people whom she now hold a high regard for. Their words kind and soft, warm and welcoming—it was as though she belonged with them since the beginning of time, nevermind that both Masters—Terra and Aqua— were more than willing to keep her and Roxas under their wings to properly train them.

Xion had never truly known before what the word _family_ meant, but after spending so much time with Lea and Roxas, and then with Aqua, Terra and Ventus, she figured she now did.

Xion made her way down the stairs with Roxas tailing behind, the smell of eggs and bacon wafting through the air. Her stomach responded instantly with a growl, which she attempted to hide in embarrassment from Roxas by feigning a cough. The latter didn’t notice, though; it didn’t look like he was fully awake yet. 

Knowing who was (or _were,_ most probably) behind cooking breakfast that morning, Xion didn’t hesitate to push open the kitchen door. “Morning, Masters!” She chirped happily, waving at the two individuals huddled together near the stove. 

“Good morning!” Aqua greeted back, busy scooping eggs onto an empty plate. Terra on the other hand, didn’t look or say anything immediately. Instead, he waved a hand as a sign of acknowledgment, his attention clearly (and still) focused on the other master beside him.

Xion suppressed a giggle that was coming out from her throat. She was used to a sight like this, so Xion wasn’t surprised at all. She quietly settled onto an empty chair by the small table, just as the toaster dinged. Before Xion could offer a lending help to get the toast, Terra was already halfway there, grabbing a plate from the counter and taking the hot toast out. It didn’t go unnoticed from Xion that Terra had opened his mouth slightly to say something, but was interrupted by Aqua throwing a bag of bread towards him. 

It took Xion about three seconds to realise how in sync they both were, even for something as mundane as making breakfast. She smiled to herself, half watching her two masters while half trying to entertain Roxas using her gummiphone so that he doesn’t fall back to sleep.

Lea came in after that, asking for breakfast and then patting both Xion and Roxas’ heads. She chuckled at that form of affection, though Roxas grumbled in response. 

“Terra, would you mind?” Aqua held a plate of eggs out, to which Terra took without hesitation to place on the table. When he asked if anyone could help set up the table, Xion was quick to volunteer, happily flitting towards the counter. From the corner of her eyes, Xion could see Terra stealing another bacon, but before she could point that out, Aqua had already beaten her to it.

“I saw that.” She plainly said, much to Xion’s surprise, considering Aqua had her back against them. Terra merely shrugged at that. 

Even when Xion was busying herself with plates and glasses, she couldn’t help but to sneak a few glances every now and then towards her two masters. For some reasons, Xion liked looking at them; they always seemed to be in their own world, regardless of the amount of people around them (or how loud and noisy Lea could get). And even now, when Xion perked her ears to casually listen, Terra and Aqua were lost in a memory only they were privy to. Xion didn’t pry further, scurrying over when the toaster dinged again. After putting toasts on her plate and bringing everything to the table, Xion quietly began passing plates to everyone on the table.

Ven came in then, still as sleepy as ever. A short exchange of words between him, Aqua and Terra made Xion glance back instinctively to her own friends; Roxas had finally sat upright while Lea had taken out his gummiphone.

“It won’t make it back to the table if I let you take it,” Xion sat down just as she heard Aqua half chiding Terra for something he did. Even though she didn’t see what had happened, Xion reckoned Terra had tried to take a fresh slice of bread from the pan, knowing full well that he was a huge fan of Aqua’s baking. It only took a gesture from Aqua for Terra to understand what he had to do next, and Xion, after seeing Terra reached into the refrigerator for orange juice, jam and butter, finally settled her eyes on the plates of food in front of her.

Her stomach growled again. Xion began taking some bacon and eggs onto her plate when she heard a soft thud at the end of the table. Glancing over, she saw Aqua sitting down; she had placed a hot cup of black coffee in front of Terra without a word. From the look Terra was giving her, Xion deduced that he hadn’t asked her to make coffee for him, but regardless, she did, knowing that he needed one that morning.

Xion couldn’t hide the grin that was forming yet again. It honestly hadn’t been that long since she met them, but Xion had discovered they were like two peas in a pod, inseparable and able to read each other like a worn out book. Their interactions always genuine and natural. It wasn’t like she had purposely studied their every action; Xion had naturally caught on that, just after spending a few days in the Land of Departure, the two masters, although two separate individuals, often act like they were one. 

Which really, could only mean _one_ thing. Xion smiled. She wondered if they knew.

“Don’t you dare eat all of that bread,” Terra’s voice interrupted her thoughts, just as she heard Lea grunting and dropping the bread back onto its plate. 

Ven snickered, “Terra is serious when it comes to Aqua’s baking.” 

Xion nearly choked on her juice, giggling. So it wasn’t just her who was noticing all this, huh? She shook her thoughts away before starting on her breakfast. It wasn’t long before Xion got distracted again, now noticing the hushed whisperings between Ven and Roxas. Both of them were smirking, gesturing to each other and then to the end of the table where Terra and Aqua sat side by side. Roxas then went back to tackling his bacon, while Ven slowly and rather stealthily brought his gummiphone to his eye level. At first, Xion couldn’t tell what he was doing, but two seconds after, she realised he was taking a photo.

Quickly shoving eggs into her mouth so that she doesn’t burst into sudden laughter and give him away, Xion noticed how the camera was pointing directly at the oblivious duo by the side. It was pretty darn clever of him, if Xion were to be honest, knowing what Ven was bound to do next. 

From the corner of her eyes, Xion saw him tapping away furiously on his phone. He had a stupid grin on his face at the same time trying to fight back laughter; Xion knew that he was up to no good, but she was excited to see what he has up his sleeves. Ven gave a dramatic last tap on his phone, snickering, before placing his phone down—a sure sign that it was time for Xion to check her phone. Cautiously putting her cutleries down, Xion was quick to unlock her phone, seeing the notification informing her that Ven had just uploaded a new photo.

“Well,” Lea was the first to break the sudden silence, just as Xion clicked into the notification. He had placed his phone back on the table, smirking. “Nice knowing you, Ven, you had a good life.”

When the photo finally loaded on her phone, Xion’s face split into an immediate grin. She covered one hand over a mouth, wanting to hide her excitement as she read the caption that came along with the photo. She now understood why Lea had smirked. “ _Ven,_ ” 

Even Roxas had peered into her phone to see what Ven had done, and Xion could tell he was mildly impressed. “Holy shit, you’re going to get _killed_.” He teased, hiding a grin just as Aqua chided him for his language.

It should take just a few more seconds before Terra or Aqua discovers what Ven had done, but Xion wouldn’t stop staring at the photograph—Terra was gazing at Aqua, a smile on his lips that Xion knew, was only reserved for Aqua and Aqua _alone._

Eager to see their reactions, Xion glanced over slightly to see both Terra and Aqua already staring at their phones. Although Terra was trying to keep his composure, Xion could tell that there was a blush creeping onto his skin. 

“I get the shower first!” Ven called dibs loudly, mouth full as he took his escape. Xion stifled a giggle that was itching its way back up her throat.

If she had doubted her own observations before, this photograph pretty much confirmed her suspicions. Xion felt her heart bursting with joy, giddy from the prospects of her two masters being so clearly _in love with each other._ And judging from how the others are acting, it would seem pretty obvious that they shared the same sentiment as her.

As she excused herself to scramble after Lea and Roxas who had left the kitchen—partially to leave them _alone—_ cheeks still flushed with giddiness, Xion could only hope that they’d make it official, soon.

_** (end of part v - xion) ** _


	6. Lea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set about a month after KH3, in which Lea finally says to Terra and Aqua, what has been going on in everyone's mind.  
> This part is dedicated to @Fangirl_Shenanigans for all your suggestion and constant support!

**_ Part vi - Lea _ **

 

Lea loved the Land of Departure, it was somewhat like a sanctuary for him.

There was just something warm about it, a place he didn’t expect to find solace in. He had become somewhat of a regular visitor here, especially since Ventus kept inviting him to come back for various random reasons, and ever since Roxas and Xion began to train under the pupillage of Terra and Aqua.

Today in particular, Lea came with Isa. They didn’t really had anything to do in Twilight Town, so Isa was the one who suggested they visit the Land of Departure and watch how their other friends were faring in their trainings. When they reached though, Lea was informed by an overly enthusiastic Ven that Roxas and Xion were tasked to collect certain herbs and ingredients from the mountain that morning. Lea had recoiled almost at once, the thought of climbing up the mountain in this ridiculously hot weather made him shudder in fear.

“I’ll just show Isa around, he hasn’t been here much anyway.” Lea came up with an excuse which none of them bought; Xion had giggled, Roxas had rolled his eyes. They knew he was really just lazy.

“So…where do we go now?” Isa asked after the trio sauntered off to the other side together with Ven who had volunteered to be their guide that morning.

“Let’s think in the common area, I’m sure there’s something for us to do.” Lea merely shrugged, heading into the castle. It was quiet at first, only the sound of their footsteps echoed within the four walls, but as Lea entered into the common area, he began to hear distant voices clearly belonging to that of Terra and Aqua slicing through the air.

Although he couldn’t make out entirely the sentences that were sprouting out from both individuals, Lea could tell immediately that their conversation wasn’t casual, nor was it friendly. If anything, it sounded like they were _arguing_. Not wanting to get caught in an awkward situation, Lea wanted to grab Isa and move to a different room, only to have Aqua storming into the common area before he could do just that, her hands crossed tightly against her chest. 

Her reaction to seeing them standing awkwardly in the middle of the room was immediate; “Oh, hi,” She halted in her steps with a sudden brake, greeting them awkwardly. This was a stark contrast to how she would usually react to visitors, and Lea realised that.

From her expression, Lea could tell that Aqua was clearly flustered, momentarily stunned to see them in the castle. For a second there, she looked confused, a clear _aren’t the others outside, why aren’t you two with them_ look etched on her face. 

Before Lea or Isa could say anything, Terra walked in, hands waving in the air. He had a sort of desperate, a sort of guilty look on his face. “Please, Aqua, you know I wouldn’t go with this plan if I wasn’t— _oh_ ,” Terra stopped mid-sentence as soon as he spotted the two visitors. He gave them an awkward wave just as Aqua headed for the kitchen without turning back. “ _Aqua!_ Can you just listen for a moment?” He was half pleading, his tone exasperate as he tailed her into the kitchen.

It was safe to say that Lea and Isa were both extremely intrigued by what was happening. They’ve almost always seen them happily together, serene most of the time. This was the first time Aqua was _this_ upset. Despite knowing completely well that they should probably not pry, Lea and Isa ignored their gut feeling and scrambled quickly to the entrance of the kitchen, stopping there to press their ears against the door.

“This is so wrong,” Isa whispered.

“Shut up,” Lea was quick to shot him down. “I’m trying to listen.”

 

_ “It’s not that I don’t…worried…what if…“ _

_ “You need to understand that I…it’ll be okay…“ _

_ “Yes but what if—“ _

_ “Aqua, that isn’t going to—” _

 

Lea frowned, not entirely sure what to make of the the disjointed sentences he was hearing. All he could hear was muffled voices speaking on the other side, sometimes a few words loud enough for him to catch on. Either way, he was definitely sure that Aqua was upset over something Terra did, or was about to do, Lea really wasn't sure.

“Hmm,” Lea was thinking of all the possibilities that caused Aqua to be _this_ mad, but he really couldn’t be certain of his choices. Aqua was normally the calmest among all of them, her patience as big as the entire universe. For her to lose her temper like this could only mean that Terra had messed up big time. But what did he do?

“Dude, should we go?” Isa whispered, his ears still pressed against the door. “I can’t hear anything.”

Lea ignored him, pushing him slightly to rest a hand on the doorknob.

“Uh, what do you think you’re doing?” Isa half-hissed, only to have Lea shushing him again. “Can you calm down?” Ever so carefully and slowly, Lea turned the doorknob as quietly as possible, and pushed the door forward slightly.

Thankfully, the door didn’t creak, Terra and Aqua’s voices flooded the room again but this time, a lot clearer than before.

“So you’re telling me that no matter what I say, you’ll still stick to your decision?” Aqua’s voice was the first they heard, and Lea almost, for a split second there, regretted doing what he did; there was clear hurt in the tone of her voice, _could this be something personal?_

“Aqua, I really…I have to do this.” There was an equal amount of pain in Terra’s voice, causing Lea and Isa to instantly exchange a knowing look. “I promise you, I’ll be back before you even know it.”

Lea raised an eyebrow; _is Terra going somewhere?_

“I…okay,” Aqua finally relented, sighing. She was shaking her head. “I have no rights to stop you.”

“Hey, hey, look at me.” Lea boldly took a peek from the slightly ajar door and saw that Terra had placed a finger gently under Aqua’s chin, tilting it slightly so she had her eyes on him instead of the floor. “It’ll be all right, _nothing_ will happen to me. It’ll be different this time.”

“I know,” Aqua’s voice grew soft; Lea and Isa had to crane their necks to hear and see better, “but I can’t help it. It’s me being selfish, that’s all.”

“Aqua, _don’t_ say that,” Terra’s voice matched hers, much to Lea’s frustration. “You’re the most selfless person I know. I…don’t want to leave you, either.”

 _Oh my god_ , Lea gasped, eyes wide, _say what?_

“I want to say _then don’t_ , but we both know there’s no stopping you when you’ve made up your mind.” Aqua was almost whispering now, “Can’t I follow you, too?”

Terra shook his head firmly. “No, you’re the master of this castle. You need to stay here and train Ven, Roxas and Xion.”

Aqua looked completely dejected, but she nodded weakly. “I guess you’re right.”

“Will you really be okay?” Terra had edged closer to Aqua, who still had her eyes on him. 

Aqua nodded. “As long as you are, I will be, too.”

_Sweet mother of—_ Lea wanted to cringe, but there was also a spark of excitement igniting inside him. He really wasn’t used to hearing diabetes-inducing words like this _ever,_ but Lea found a part of him somewhat eager to hear more. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that such words were coming out from the mouths of two individuals he deeply respected, or perhaps it was because these two said individuals were really frustrating to watch sometimes, from an outsider’s point of view. Perhaps it was both of that combined, Lea didn’t really care. What mattered was they were finally _talking._

Lea had caught on as early as the days he had become a frequent visitor in the Land of Departure.He usually visited to see Roxas and Xion’s progress with their trainings with Terra and Aqua, but most of the time, it was the two masters who had caught his attention instead. It wasn’t long before Lea concluded inevitably that there were no two people that were this in love with each other _yet_ so oblivious to their own feelings, or maybe they knew, but they just decided not to do anything about it. And that itself frustrates Lea to the deepest core of the planet.

“Should we—“ Isa began again, but Lea jammed his elbow into his ribs. Isa had to cover his mouth to stop himself from yelling. Lea was still peeking in, noticing that both of them had gone quiet. _What was happening?_

It took Lea about a second to realise; _nothing._ Absolutely nothing was happening.

Terra and Aqua were just gazing at each other, it was only when Terra cleared his throat that the silence between them broke. He had straightened his back and taken a step backwards. “There are only a few places I need to go, I’ll be back by the end of the week.” 

Lea wanted to scream, a _re you shitting me?_

“I guess I’ll have to annoy Ven instead then, while you’re away.” Aqua finally smiled, albeit slightly. Her expression wasn’t any better than before, Lea took note of, he could see that she was suppressing pain behind her smile—it was evident she didn’t want him to leave the Land of Departure alone. He wondered if Terra saw it too.

“You’ve never annoyed me, Aqua.” Terra smiled, his hands finding their way back to Aqua’s shoulders. “I love being with you, you know that.”

Lea was getting quite enough of this, if he were to be completely honest with himself. Half annoyed and half wanting desperately to actually see _something_ happening, Lea swung open the door fully and stepped into the kitchen, alerting Terra and Aqua as they both sprang apart instantaneously.“ _For heaven's sake! This is not a game of cats and dogs. Can you just kiss her already?”_

Terra’s jaw dropped; Aqua’s ears turned an instant pink.

Isa emerged from the shadows, his face in mock horror as he made an attempt to pull Lea back by lunging at him. “I'm so sorry, Lea didn’t mean that, I’m sure— _”_

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Lea had swatted Isa’s hands away in one simple motion. “I meant _every_ word I said!”

Isa groaned, slapping a palm over his forehead. He’d really done it, this time.

“ _Oh come on_! It’s obvious they’re in love with each other, they just can’t seem to get their shit toge— _ow_!“ Isa elbowed Lea with all his might, fully aware that Aqua’s cheeks had bloomed a bright shade of red.

“Oh my god, can you _shut up?_ ” Isa muttered furiously under his breath, but Lea didn’t seem to pay him any heed, if what he said next was any indication. “Look, you two have lost what, 12 years together? That’s a hella long time to be apart from each other, especially when you two are practically already married to each other!”

Isa gave up right then. Trust Lea to bring up this topic without invitation. It was no secret that everyone was aware of how Terra and Aqua felt for each other, but no one has ever dared to directly bring it up in front of them. Usually, it was only Ven who would (and could) tease them openly, but even then nothing had happened.

Isa casted a careful look at Terra and Aqua, who seemed more amused than they were angry, so at the very least Isa was relieved he didn’t need to prepare for Lea’s funeral.

“M-married?” Aqua managed to find her voice, face still coloured. 

“Yes,” Lea rolled his eyes. “Ever heard of that before? You two are like soulmates to me, anyway.”

“Lea…” Terra began, but shut up the second Lea glared at him, hands on his hips. His stance made it seemed as though he was about to scold a child for stealing candies. Isa could only shake his head, keeping mum.

“Can you honestly tell me right this second,” Lea gestured at Aqua’s direction, “that you have _never_ thought about kissing _her_?” 

This time, Isa could see that even Terra was beginning to turn red, struggling to respond, while Aqua was timidly looking at him, trying to seem as though she wasn’t waiting for an answer from him. 

“And Aqua,” Lea had shifted his gaze towards Aqua, whose eyes widened in surprise. “if anyone has the rights to stop Terra from going wherever the hell he wants to go, it’s _you._ ”

Aqua looked like she wanted to say something in reply, but stopped herself in the end. Lea heaved a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You two have known each other for more than a decade. You were there for each other no matter what. Ven has brought it up a couple of times, Kairi and Xion have seen the way you two look at each other. Roxas and I myself were aware of this-" He gestured at the both of them, "-since a long time ago. Even  _Isa_ here, who barely comes to visit, has his own suspicions. All of us are rooting for you two."

When a few seconds passed and no one said anything, Lea rubbed the back of his neck, “Just think about it, okay? Like really, _really_ think about it." He said before turning to look at Isa. He knew he wasn’t going to get any response from the both of them, and deep down beneath all that speech he had gave, Lea did feel like he had intruded a tad bit too much, so Lea nodded towards the door as Isa simply shrugged.

Just before he left though, Lea turned his head back one last time. “Hey, you guys?” Terra and Aqua glanced up at the same time. “I really mean what I said before, about you two being soulmates. You two are really perfect together.”

Although still visibly stunned by his intrusion-slash-speech, Terra still managed a small smile afterwards. He looked somewhat embarrassed too, and then, in one fleeting moment, he gave a nod.

Lea walked out, smiling with triumph.

**_ (end of part vi - lea) _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Lea was so fun, and I hope you enjoyed reading him as much as I enjoyed writing him! We all know that if someone has to lay it out directly for Terra/Aqua, it would be Lea for sure.
> 
> Anyway, I'll mark this fic as complete for now, until I get ideas to write other characters, or even an Epilogue (of Terra/Aqua themselves finally admitting the inevitable lmao)--I'm still thinking if I should write one or not so we'll see.
> 
> Thank you for all your support so far! #terraquaftw


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terra and Aqua finally talk. Properly.  
> ~ Set two days after the previous chapter. Post KH3, of course.

_** Epilogue. ** _

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

Albeit how quiet he had approached her, albeit how silent the night is, Aqua was not surprised to hear his voice. She had been looking at the stars, admiring how they lighted the night, twinkling away without any worry, when Terra sat down beside her. His shoulder slightly brushed hers as he waited for her answer. 

Terra’s question was vague, but Aqua had a feeling she knew what he meant—the encounter they had with Lea and Isa in the kitchen two days ago. What Lea had said that day remained fresh in her mind, his words had kept her awake that night, and even when she finally slept the next night, she had fallen asleep thinking of the 'speech' Lea had given about them. She was sure that Terra shared the same sentiment.  

Aqua merely nodded, ever so slightly, that she wasn’t sure if Terra even saw her gesture.

“Lea isn’t wrong, you know.” He spoke again after a few seconds, his voice measured, soft. He wasn't looking at her.

Aqua glanced towards Terra. “About?”

“Everything,” He simply replied, eyes still on the night sky. “who you are to me, essentially.”

Aqua managed a small smile, heat finding its way onto her face as she turned fully towards him. She wanted to say something in response to that, or tell him just how much he meant to her, too. She wanted to tell him that she agreed with his opinion, that Lea was right. Maybe even tell him that she believed in the idea of them being soulmates. 

But Terra beat her to it, with a sentence that she hadn't expect to hear.

“I love you, Aqua.” He almost but breathed the sentence out, lump lodged in his throat. This was the first time Terra has ever uttered this phrase to anyone _,_ yet it didn’t feel out of place or foreign. If any, it sounded genuine, straight from his heart as though he had bared his entire soul for her to see. Terra willed himself to look at the woman beside him, noting how her eyes had widened in surprise at that confession, her cheeks flushed red. His heart began to pound. He pushed himself to continue, “You’re my _dream_ , my _world_.”

Aqua’s vision began to blur, tears now brimming on her eyelids. She kept her eyes wide opened, not wanting the tears to spill. Her heart was swelling with immense emotion, pounding hardly against the walls of her chest. 

When she was a lot younger, Aqua had imagined this moment happening in her head far moretimes than she could ever remember, imagined it would happen one day, that the person she fell in love with would reciprocate her feelings, that they would live happily ever after together. But reality wasn’t always rainbows and sunshine; with all that has happened during the Mark of Mastery, the aftermath surrounding the three of them, Aqua hadn’t dared to let her mind wander far since they reunited, let alone even _think_ of rekindling what they had left unspoken between them. She didn't think she had the privilege to.

“But I…I don’t think I deserve you.”

It truly hit her then, those words—and everything came crashing down on her; the result of two broken individuals who hasn’t truly mend their hearts. Two individuals who had acted as though everything was normal, and had locked their hearts away in the deepest recesses of their minds. They didn’t avoid each other, if any, they had always lingered around the presence of each other carefully. But they never really talked about it either; there was no reason for them to tread the fine line separating their relationship, no matter how much they ached and longed for each other. 

But Terra’s words, Aqua thought, couldn’t be _far_ from the truth. She shook her head furiously. “ _Don’t_ say that,” She whispered, tears finally flowing down her cheeks. She had latched one hand around his arm tightly.“I love you too, Terra, surely you must know that by now.”

He did, Terra thought to himself immediately. How could he not? 

But something that was the truth did not necessarily mean that it was right.

“Every time I close my eyes…” Terra began again, but found that he couldn’t continue. He was looking at the grass beneath him now. How could he tell her that every time he tried to sleep, all he could see in his head was him hurting her and Ven?

But Aqua knew. She only needed one glance to know. 

She edged closer to him. “I have my own demons to fight, too, Terra.” Aqua began carefully, her hand moving down so she could take his hand in hers. “But knowing that you are here with me has given me so much strength to move forward.”

Aqua interlaced their fingers together. He didn’t pull away. “You don’t have to fight your battles alone. I will _always_ be here for you. Ven, too.”

“I know,” Terra nodded once, turning to look at her. “We’ll always be together. The three of us, no matter what.”

“Yes,” Aqua agreed, but she could still see the sadness in his eyes. “Terra…you’re being too hard on yourself. You never wanted any of that to happen.”

He responded with a sigh. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself.”

Aqua knew he was going to say that, she saw it coming from a mile away. She could tell from the way his smile didn’t reach his eyes, from the way he looked at her and Ven ever since they came back and restored their home. She saw it from the pain reflected behind his eyes, the melancholic, sombre tone of his voice whenever he was alone with her. She knew he was suffering, yet she couldn’t do anything to ease that pain. And she hated herself for it, for being a lousy friend. This time though, Aqua decided, she wasn't going to let him carry this burden alone.

“It’s okay to make mistakes, no one expects you to be perfect, Terra. Especially me.” She finally said, placing her other free hand gently on Terra’s left cheek, her thumb subconsciously caressing his face. “I just want you to be _you_.” 

“You deserve someone better, Aqua.” was all Terra could say at this point. 

“What if I _don’t_ want anyone else?” They were extremely close to each other by now, foreheads nearly pressed together. Aqua expelled a sigh. “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, and that would never change. You _know_ that.”

When Terra heard her say that, something stirred slowly in him.

He couldn’t remember a time when the words uttered by Aqua were untrue; in fact, they’ve _always_ been true, and he was aware of it. He was aware, simply because his own feelings mirrored that of hers. Most of the time, he only chose to brush those feelings aside, not wanting to complicate what they had with each other. But the more he pretended not to feel anything special for her, the more his feelings, his desires, seemed to grow. It was becoming rather obvious that he could never push her away, no matter how much he tried to. It just wasn't possible.

Those simple words that came out from Aqua held so much meaning, so much emotions that Terra had failed to convey by himself—he was never good with words to begin with, anyway—that all he wanted to do now was to pull her into his arms, brush that stray hair away from her beautiful face, watch her eyes flutter, then close, and just—

“Me too.” Terra whispered finally. “Always.”

He knew there was still a long way for him before he could truly let go of the past. But he also knew that as long as Aqua was with him every step of the way, they could heal together. At this moment though, all Terra wanted to do was to lean down to close the gap between them. He wanted to kiss her. 

But this time, she beat him to it.

 

_(--f i n)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to end this short series with an epilogue of Terra/Aqua finally admitting they love each other, and also to deal with the bits of suffering left in both of their hearts. I hope you like it. I may also have a short drabble idea floating in my mind, as a bonus chapter, so watch out for it one of these days! 
> 
> THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE KUDOS BTW AHHH MY HEART IS FULL.


	8. Bonus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yall think I was done with this fic in the previous Epilogue chapter? The answer is no! All because of this bloody plot bunny that won't leave me alone lmao. 
> 
> But in all seriousness, unfortunately, THIS will be the last chapter for this series. I may or may not write more terraqua in the future, it really depends on ideas and if I'm still sane enough to write after classes (I'm in my final semester of law school!). But I don't think this will be the last you'll hear from me, that's for sure. I'LL BE BACK!
> 
> ~ Set about a month or so after the events of Epilogue.  
> ~~ This chapter is rated T for implications (which you will know once you read it lmaooo I mean...it's honestly not subtle)

**_ Bonus. _ **

 

When Ven woke up that morning to the sound of his alarm clock blaring through the silence, he had immediately thrown his covers aside and jumped down his bed without hesitation. He yawned, did some stretching before he felt the excitement gradually building up in him. Grinning, Ven was quick to run out from his room and down the stairs. He had taken a few steps towards the common area when he began to hear hushed voices whispering behind him. 

“You guys woke up!” He simply said, still smiling as he spotted the crowd of familiar faces; Riku responded with a quick wave, Lea was whistling, Roxas was rubbing his eyes. Sora, Xion and Kairi were the ones talking, the trio radiated an aura of pure sunshine, clearly having way too much energy to be _this_ happy in the wee hours of morning.

Xion giggled, “Kairi and I figured that if we let you lot cook breakfast without supervision, you’ll probably end up burning the entire kitchen.”

Riku laughed. Lea and Roxas rolled their eyes at that, though they said nothing. Sora and Ven reacted at the same time—Sora had crossed his arms together, Ven had huffed. “Hey! We aren’t _that_ bad!”

“We know,” Kairi chuckled in amusement, “but we want to make sure everything is perfect for Terra and Aqua.”

At the mention of Terra’s name, Ven immediately slapped a grin back onto his face. Terra, who had gone away for nearly two weeks, had finally returned from his adventure the evening before. Everyone had missed him dearly, even the new additions to the Land of Departure. Ven had been the one who suggested they do something to celebrate his return, and Xion had been quick to suggest that they should cook a hearty meal for him. For the fun of it, Lea had put forward his suggestion behind fake coughs—that this should be kept as a surprise even from Aqua. 

“They probably have lots to catch up.” Lea had reasoned with a snicker, “We shouldn’t disturb them.”

“Besides, Aqua has been doing lots of kitchen duties lately.” Kairi had agreed, “It’ll be nice if we do something for her in return, too.”

And that was all the plan, really. It wasn’t anything extravagant, just a few hours for their two masters to sleep in without worrying about cooking breakfast for the entire bunch. Which was why all of them had agreed to wake up before dawn, a feat which Ven had considered fairly remarkable given the normal waking hours of some of them.

They hustled into the kitchen without further complaints. Little Chef had been gracious to share some of his cooking tips with Sora, and after making sure they had enough ingredients to make a delicious meal, they began to cook. 

Two dozens of cracked eggs done and fried, and a few packs of bacon grilled to almost perfection later, the door to the kitchen swung open, and in walked an extremely confused Aqua. 

“What are you guys doing?” She asked in complete surprise; not one or two was awake, but the _entire_ pack, and… _are they cooking breakfast?_

“Good morning, Aqua!” Sora chirped happily while arranging empty plates on the table. Kairi was grinning at her direction from where she stood near the toasters. “Morning, Aqua.”

“Surprise!” Ven threw his hands up in the air, nearly splattering oil all over the kitchen. Xion shrieked, reaching upwards to grab the spatula from his hand. “Ven!”

“Oops, sorry.” He apologised sheepishly, shifting away from the frying pan before directing his attention back towards the still puzzled woman at the entrance. “Where’s Terra?”

“He’s uhh…getting ready.” Aqua simply said without further elaboration, making her way to the kitchen island. “This is a pleasant surprise. What’s the occasion?”

“We wanted to do something for you and Terra.” Riku explained as he poured orange juice into the empty glasses on the table. “Just because.”

“Yeah, just sit back and relax.” Roxas piped up as he rummaged through the drawers for cutleries. “We’ll serve breakfast in no time.”

“Oh.” Aqua smiled, clearly flattered from hearing that. “Thank you, guys. That’s really sweet.”

They fell into a silence then, Aqua’s smile grew wider as she witnessed them concentrate at the tasks in their hands. Terra entered just then, a bemused look on his face. The first person his eyes landed upon was on Lea, who had walked past him to put two plates of scrambled eggs on the table. No one seemed to pay him much heed, so he took his place beside Aqua who had sat down in her seat, her face rested against one hand as she observed the rest of the party.

“They’re cooking for us.” Aqua offered an explanation, to which Terra chuckled beneath his breath. “Suddenly they look like adults.” He whispered, darting a glance at the woman beside him. 

Aqua wasn’t even looking at him, but Terra could feel his heart bursting with adoration. It shouldn’t be possible to feel this way, but it did, and he honestly wouldn’t trade his feelings for anything else in the world. “Hey,” He began, and their eyes met, “what if today, we—“

Terra never got to finish his sentence, for he was interrupted with a loud gasp, followed by an exclamation of _Aqua, what happened to your neck?_

Almost at once, everyone stopped what they were doing to whip their heads towards Aqua, who had grew alarmingly red and flustered for reasons they didn’t know of. She had quickly covered a hand over her neck, while trying to assure Ven that she was completely fine.

“Why is there a _bruise_ on your neck?” Ven pressed on, completely aghast, just as Terra froze in his seat, a blush began to creep onto his cheeks.

There was pin drop silence, as Ven’s expression slowly changed from concern to that of sudden realisation. His face started to mirror that of his two best friends. “Uh…I…uhm…” He was at a loss of words as he finally connected two and two together—how Terra and Aqua were both as red as a beetroot, both as quiet as a mouse. 

“ _Dummy_.” Lea smacked the back of Ven’s head, he too, was somewhat embarrassed on behalf of the two petrified masters. “You _don’t_ go around _asking_ a couple what—“

“But…but…hasn’t it been just _a_ _month_ since you two got together?” Roxas interrupted Lea, much to the latter’s annoyance. “ _Seriously,_ you two are _hopeless_ …” Lea groaned, smacking a hand against his forehead. He didn’t dare look at Terra and Aqua, not especially since he could clearly guessed _how_ the bruise came about.

“Well…” Terra cleared his throat a few times, feeling the heat on his face as he tried to act as nonchalant as he could. He was going to get into so much trouble with Aqua later, but Terra was taking up his chances. They weren’t doing anything _wrong,_ anyway, and from the looks everyone had on their faces, it wasn't like they didn’t know what was happening. 

“Well… _technically_ …we’ve known each other for almost two decades.”

The reaction was immediate, like wildfire; Riku’s ears turned pink, though his face remained impassive, Roxas has gasped out loud, Lea had screamed _too much information! too much information!_ as he moved in a speed of lightning to cover Xion’s ears (though it was clearly too late), Sora’s jaw dropped, Kairi had an ear splitting grin on her face as a blush began to form on her face as well, and Ventus nearly fainted from that implication.

_(--f i n)_


End file.
